1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system printers, and more particularly to a system and method for an integrated dye sublimation photo printer paper tray.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Advances in information handling system processing and storage capabilities have resulted in frequent use of information handling systems for managing multimedia information, such as photographs and videos. In particular, the increasing availability and decreasing cost of digital cameras has made the digital camera a common household item. Quality digital photographs tend to use considerable storage so that photographers commonly rely on information handling systems as an organizational tool for maintaining photographic libraries. When a user wants a physical copy of a particular photograph, the user selects the photograph from the library and prints the photograph in the desired size. For instance, ink jet printers have evolved to have the ability to print high quality photographs from digitally-stored images. Ink jet printers spray ink in small pixels that present an overall image of the photograph. However, ink jet printers tend to have a relatively large footprint and are thus not generally a convenient mobile printing device that a user may take along with the digital camera. Portable ink jet printers are available but awkward to use and expensive with relatively low quality printing.
Recent advances in dye sublimation printing have made dye sublimation printing an increasingly popular alternative to ink jet printing for photographs. Dye sublimation printing applies heat to thin ink sheets so that the ink vaporizes from the ink sheet and reforms on printing paper. Dye sublimation printing tends to provide higher quality photographs compared with ink jet printing since dye sublimation blends pixels together at their edges while ink jet printing tends to leave separately identifiable pixels. The use of a heating element instead of inkjets allows dye sublimation printers to have smaller footprints that are more suitable to mobile use. For instance, portable dye sublimation printers are typically available to print one type of standard-sized photograph, such as 4×6 inch photographs. However, dye sublimation printers typically require a user to carry a paper tray separate from the printer that is inserted in the printer during printing. The separate paper tray tends to have a footprint that is large relative to the small size of the printer because the dye sublimation paper generally must be covered at all times to avoid getting dirt or other impurities on the paper. Impurities on dye sublimation paper have significant impact on print quality so that printer manufacturers tend to keep the paper enclosed until use in an enclosed paper tray.